


A Night to remember

by CNIN



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Cute, M/M, Memory Loss, No memory Neil, alternative universe, baker andrew
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:07:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CNIN/pseuds/CNIN
Summary: Neil wakes up in a hospital room with a stranger by his side and a few of his memories lost.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 3
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

It all happened so fast, Neil only remembered seeing a bright light heading towards him before he was swallowed by darkness. He woke up in an unfamiliar room, his whole body aching and a stranger by his side. He winced in pain as he got up looking at his surroundings, a hospital room. His movements must have woke the other person as he stretched and yawned,  
“Idiot”  
Neil was taken aback. This stranger just called him an idiot.  
“Did you just call me an idiot?” Neil tried to stay neutral but his anger came through.  
“Only an idiot gets hit by a car”  
“It obviously wasn’t on purpose”  
“Obviously”  
Neil was irritated by the mans uncaring tone.  
“Who are you anyways? Do we know each other?”  
The man finally looked Neil in the eyes, still a deadpan expression.  
“No”  
“Then why are you here?”  
“When someone gets run over right outside the front of your store, you usually tend to help”  
Neil just managed a “Oh”.  
“Your friends are coming soon, I didn’t want you to wake up by yourself”  
Neil gave a slight nod and watched as the man walked away. The man was shorter than Neil maybe 5 foot. He had a muscular back and over all a toned body but what stood out most to Neil was his piercing hazel eyes.

A few minutes after the unnamed man left, he saw two familiar faces enter; Dan and Matt. Even though Matt was a giant man he acted as if he was a small baby, he ran over to Neil, looking like a frightened pup. “Neil do you remember me?” He asked. Neil couldn’t help but roll his eyes “Yeah Matt, kinda hard to forget you, we have been together since college”. Matt sighed with relief “thank god”. Dan put the flowers they brought into a jug of water and placed it on the windowsill, “The doctor said he just needs to check a few things and then you can come home soon.” Neil gave a nod and then turned to Matt, “Who was the guy that stayed with me? He was short, blonde and had a nice build”  
“That’s Andrew” Matt said concerned, “Don’t you remember him?”  
“Should I?” Neil asked with his head slightly tilted  
“Yeah Neil, you go to his bakery all the time” chimed in Dan  
“I can’t seem to remember ever knowing him at all” Neil sighed.  
Before anyone could say anything else the doctor came in and started asking questions and taking tests.

——————————————————————————  
Neil was finally allowed to leave the hospital after nearly two weeks. His injuries weren’t serious but the doctor said Neil might have some mild amnesia due to his head injury but it should come back over time. He remembered most things, his name, his birthday, where he worked, his horrible family and his close friends but he found it difficult to name a few people in his apartment complex and in shops, he also couldn’t remember certain parts of his college life. A cat came to greet his feet as he entered the apartment. “I don’t remember having a cat?” Neil said looking down to the cat that was meowing for attention, which Neil happily provided. After the cat was feed and happy, he remembered he forgot to feed himself. He went to his fridge but frowned when he saw it was empty. What did he expect, he was gone for over two weeks.

He strolled down the street and spotted a bakery at the corner of his eye. It had an appealing feel to it, not too colourful like certain shops but also not dull that it blended in.  
It was a light mint colour with off white stripes. There was tables and chairs outside the shop but also a sitting area inside. Neil opened the door, the smell of freshly baked food hit Neil nearly as fast as the car did. Neils eyes scanned the shop until it reached the worker. It was Andrew. He gave a stiff nod before heading into the back room. Neil went to the till and looked at the counter that had all the baked goods. Neil didn’t know what he wanted, the croissants looked nice but the pain au chocolat did too. There was cupcakes and cakes and also tarts. They all looked too good to be real. After ten minutes of staring he still couldn’t choose. “Try the Oreo cheesecake”  
Neil looked up at Andrew who was now looking down at Neil with his arms folded looking bored. “Sorry they all looked so good, I couldn’t choose”  
“You could always just come back some other time and try more”  
Andrew gave a slight smirk when he saw Neils face.  
“I didn’t think of that” Neil admitted  
“Thought as much”  
Neil gave a fake angry glare at Andrew who in return turned to the coffee machine. “What drink do you want?”  
“Coffee. Black”  
Andrew gave a swift nod and told Neil to take a seat. Andrew came to Neil with a coffee in one hand and a slice of Oreo cheesecake in the other. “Thanks”  
Neil just got a nod in return. “You know if you want to work in the customer service business, you have to give, I don’t know, customer service?” Andrew arched an eyebrow at Neil, “I helped you choose your cheesecake”  
“Actually I never agreed, you just gave it to me”  
“If you don’t want it, give it back” Andrew said with his eyebrow still arched  
“No Im fine” Neil hummed “but I would like some company”  
“I’m working”  
“I’m the only customer”  
Andrew let out a long dragged out sigh and sat down. Neil gave a smile but Andrew just rolled his eyes.  
“You know when I came home, a cat was waiting for me. The funny thing is, I can’t remember having a cat” Neil tried to force a laugh but Andrew caught onto the echo of fear behind the laugh. “You’ll remember Neil, just be patient”. Neil gave a small smile. “It’s scary you know, remembering some stuff and not others.” Andrew stayed silent which Neil took as a sign to go on, “I feel like I’m forgetting a part of me”. Andrew let out a sigh and got up, “No matter what you remember, you’re still Neil”.

A customer walked in and Andrew went to tend to her. She had short white hair with pastel colours at the tip. Andrew had a cup of mint tea and a plain cupcake on a plate ready for her. “Thanks Andrew” the girl said. Andrew nodded. “We still on for tonight?”. Andrew nodded again. The girl left the store and Andrew went back to the back of the shop. Neil sat there alone, eating his cheesecake wondering who that girl was and why she was doing something with Andrew. Neil stopped himself.  
‘Why should I care about what Andrew does?’  
he finished and left without saying goodbye and headed home still wondering why he couldn’t get his mind off Andrew.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m aware they are ooc but I’m trying my best here >•< I don’t know how much more chapters there will be, probably only a couple more (:

Neil had a month off of work and was getting bored, he got the text from his manager in the morning and was not impress . 

Neil: Sir I can work fine, it wasn’t a serious accident   
Wymack: Neil you were hit by a car.  
Neil: So? I can still work   
Wymack: My answer is no. Text again and I’ll double it  
Neil: You can’t do that  
Wymack: just did. Even have proof. Now fuck off and get better. See you in two months  
[image attached]

Neil left the message on read. He needed to ease his mind and unintentionally ending up at Andrews bakery. Even though Andrew didn’t show much emotion, the atmosphere in the bakery somehow made Neil feel at home.  
“Anymore recommendations?” Neil asked with his arms folded on the counter. Andrew spun around and a few moments later returned, handing Neil a blueberry muffin and a coffee. Neil thanked him but before Neil left to sit, he couldn’t help himself and asked Andrew the question he was continuously thinking about for the past day. “Was that girl your girlfriend?” Andrew stopped what he was doing, raised an eyebrow as if he was asking Neil to elaborate. Neil got flustered for some reason, beginning to feel stupid, “you know the um.. girl with short hair that had different colours at the ends?”  
“Renee?”  
“I don’t know? Maybe”  
“Well the answer is no”  
Neil finally felt at ease. He had to stop himself from giving a relieved sigh.  
“Cool”  
“Cool?” Andrew asked, eyebrow raised once again   
“Well not cool but- I don’t know”  
“Idiot”  
“I’m starting to believe it”   
Andrew gave a soft chuckle and went to serve the next customer. Neil was usually the only customer when he entered the bakery, (he definitely didn’t make sure he came when rush hour was over.)

But sometimes another customer would come into the shop and disturb his time with Andrew. Which annoyed Neil for some reason. He liked spending time with Andrew, even if it wasn’t very long because Andrew was the only one who didn’t treat him any differently. All his other friends tended to walk on eggshells in Neils presence, acting as if any word could trigger him into forgetting them or remembering something bad. Andrew didn’t. Andrew and Neil had no ties, Andrew only saw Neil as a customer and Neil only saw Andrew as an incredible good looki-, Neil corrected his thoughts, he only saw him as a friendly baker. The customer finally left and once again it was only Neil and Andrew.  
“Do you like going on runs?” Neil decided to ask.  
“Not particularly, why?”  
“No reason... I just go on runs sometimes and was going to offer to run together”  
“I have a dog that needs walking, if you want to go walking”  
Neil nodded his head.  
“Tonight?”  
Neil nodded his head again.  
“Give me your number so”  
Neil was going to nod his head once more put Andrew interjected, “You have a mouth for a reason, use it”  
“Woah thanks, didn’t realise I had one” Neil retorted, rolling his eyes.  
“Give me your phone so I can put my number in”  
Neil handed him the phone without complaining.  
“Oh my password is-“  
“It was already unlocked” Andrew said looking Neil directly in the eyes before focusing on the phones. Neil broke his phone during the incident so he had to get all his friends numbers again, which proved more stressful than he initially thought. Neil left feeling content with a new number in his contacts and headed to the boutique that his friend Allison worked at.

“What brings you here Neil? I doubt you want to buy clothes” Allison said directing her attention away from the mannequin and onto Neil. “Just came to say hi”   
“What do you really want hmm?”   
Neil didn’t know how to answer because he didn’t know why he actually came. Allison was one of Neils best friends and whenever he had troubles she would be the first he would turn to. As if Allison could read his mind, she waltzed over to the open sign and flipped it to closed. “Let’s go for a cup of tea and talk”. Neil just gave a small smile in return. Allison linked arms with Neil and headed for the bakery,   
“Allison I already went here today”  
“I didn’t”  
Neil sighed in defeat and opened the door. Andrew spun around to see who came in, “Back so soon?” Andrew questioned  
“The muffin was just too good”   
Allison faked gagged at Neil,   
“Stop flirting”  
“I wasn’t flirting”  
“Denying it makes it look worse” Andrew chimed in   
“You’re not suppose to agree with her”  
Andrew just shrugged, handing Allison her a cup of tea and a croissant. They took a seat at the window. Allison took a sip of her tea and then looked at Neil. Neil knew the look she was giving; she wanted to know what he was thinking. “I’m going on a walk with Andrew tonight” Neil whispered, hoping Andrew couldn’t hear.  
“Just the two of you?”  
“And his dog”  
Allison raised both eyebrows in surprise and before Neil could stop her, she shouted to Andrew, “You have a dog?”  
“Yes” Andrew shot back not looking impressed.  
“Interesting. I never knew”  
“You never asked.”  
“Always thought you were more of a cat person”  
“Well you were wrong”  
Allison waved her hand in defeat and turned back to Neil.   
“So why do you want my help with a walk?”  
“I never went on just a walk so all I have is running shorts”  
“There is no dress code for walking Neil dear”  
“Oh, okay”   
Allison patted his back and let out a laugh, “Why are you so worried?”  
“I don’t know” Neil admitted. Allison didn’t push Neil for anymore questions and they just started to chit chat. Neil appreciated that Allison didn’t change her attitude towards him but he felt bad that he couldn’t remember some of their time together during college. 

Neil went home alone, he had two hours before he was meeting up with Andrew. Neil looked at the albums scattered on the table. He looked at old photos regularly in hopes of triggering his memory to come back. No luck so far. Neil blames the lack of photos. He had none of his childhood and most of his teens. His photos were only of his time in college. He sat staring blankly at photos that he didn’t remember being apart off until he was brought back to reality by a buzz.  
Andrew: I’m outside  
Neil shot up, looking at the message in disbelief. They were suppose to meet at the park. He dashed to the door and put on his shoes as quickly as he could. He was half way out the door when he spotted Andrew. 

Andrew was wearing a short sleeved black top that fit him like a glove. It was a bit tight but it just made his muscles more noticeable, he also wore black armbands and a pair of joggers. Neil had to pull his gaze away and instead focused on the fluffy friend by his side. It was a lot smaller than Neil expected. Neil was expecting a husky or German Shepard but instead there was a small white Pomeranian puppy. It’s face was hidden by its fluff and was jumping around. Neil tried to stifle his laughter to no avail as Andrew shot him an unimpressed look.  
“You know people say dogs are just like their owners”  
Andrew didn’t say anything so Neil continued  
“I definitely see the resemblance between the two of you”  
This comment resulted in a shoulder in the ribs from Andrew but Neil didn’t mind. They started to walk towards the park in silence. Neil broke the silence by asking the dogs name.   
“Angel.”  
Neil burst out laughing at the joke but then suddenly realised Andrew wasn’t laughing.  
“You’re serious?”  
“Yes.” Andrew replied through gritted teeth.  
Neil decided not to push it any further and instead offered to walk the dog, Andrew shoved the dog leash into Neils arms and went ahead. Neil jogged up next to him. “Come on don’t be angry, it’s a cute name”  
Andrew just grunted and slowed back down to Neils pace. Neil gave a quick smile but said nothing more.   
“Was the blonde your girlfriend?”  
Neil was surprised by the sudden question.  
“Allison!? God no”  
“Why such a strong rejection?”  
“She is a friend, I could never imagine myself being with her”  
“Is it because she is your friend or is it because she is a girl?”  
Once again Andrew managed to shock Neil into silence. Neil never thought about it before.  
“Both. maybe?”   
Andrew let out a short laugh and nothing more was said. Neil never noticed how beautiful the park looked at night, he usually was running at night so he never noticed the scenery. The park was filled with huge oak trees that towered above everyone. There was different types of flowers sprinkled across the park; tulips, roses, daisies and even some poppies. The dimly lit path created a soothing atmosphere. 

Neil didn’t notice he was humming a song until he noticed Andrew staring at him. “What are you staring at?”  
“You”  
“Well obviously, I meant why” Neil asked shaking his head  
“You were humming, what song was it?”  
Neil couldn’t reply because he don’t know what song he was singing, he couldn’t remember the name or the lyrics just the melody.  
“I don’t know”  
Andrew nodded not asking anymore questions.  
“You know I’m trying to remember”  
“Why?”  
“Because I feel like I’m missing a part of me. I can’t remember most of my college life which is sad because that’s where I met most of my closest friends”  
“Maybe it’s better you don’t remember”  
Neil stopped walking.   
“Why would you say that?”  
“Maybe its your brain trying to make you forgot something your subconscious wants to forget”  
“Good or bad, memories and experiences shape a person. I would never want to forget anything”  
“Maybe”  
They walked the rest of the walk in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

Neil couldn’t sleep that night. All he could think about was Andrew. He didn’t know why Andrew was always on his mind but he didn’t care. He drifted off and went to sleep. He had a doctors appointment in the morning so he had to be up at a reasonable time. Nearly two weeks had passed since he was released from the hospital, some memories came back but not all of them. The doctor assured him that it was completely normal for memories to not come back straight away. Dan and Matt came every week to Neils apartment to show him photos of their time together but it didn’t help much. “What do I do if the memories never come back?” Neil asked trying to hide his concern.  
“Honestly Neil, I don’t know” admitted dan .  
“I’m not forgetting anything important am I?”   
Dan and Matt looked at each other before Matt put a hand on Neils shoulder, “you remember me and that’s the only important think”   
“Matt I’m serious”  
“So am I”

Matt and Dan had to leave to open their restaurant so Neil was left alone once again. He sat on his couch and stared blankly at the wall. Neil looked at some photos, closing his eyes trying to remember. All his memories felt blurry but they were slowly coming back. He went to the doctors appointment and it was the same as the last. The doctor asked if Neils memories had returned, Neil said no and then the doctor let him go. Neil decided to jog home after the appointment to clear his thoughts again. He stopped to tie his laces and locked eyes with Andrew. His eyes slowly followed from Andrews hand to a girls hand that was intertwined with his. “Thought you said you didn’t have a girlfriend?”  
The girl looked at Andrew and then back at Neil in disbelief.  
“This is Aaron”  
“Who’s Aaron?” Neil asked completely confused.  
“Me”   
“Andrew are you messing with me?”  
“Are you stupid? How can you not tell the difference? You -“  
He was cut off by another voice.  
“Aaron what are you doing here?”   
Neil looked back and forth at the two Andrews.  
“The doctors must have given me something strange” Neil whispered under his breath. The Andrew holding the girls hand broke the silence by turning to the other Andrew.  
“Andrew?”   
“Aaron.”  
“Care to explain why he thinks I’m you”  
“I don’t know either, I’m much better looking”  
“Andrew!” The other guy let go of his girlfriends hand and darted towards Andrew.  
“He had a car accident, can’t remember most things”.  
Aaron stopped in his tracks and looked over at Neil.   
“Is this true?”  
Neil nodded. “I hit my head and I can only remember the close people in my life, Andrew was the one who found me”  
Aaron looked back at Andrew and then grabbed his girlfriends hand and went inside the bakery. Andrew was about to go back in but Neil stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.  
“I don’t like being touched”  
“Sorry. Your brother?”  
“Yeah. Bye.”  
Neil was stunned by Andrews lack of response. Usually Andrew always shot back with a snarky remark but today he acted as if Neil was a complete stranger. 

Neil returned home and was greeted by Allison. “I don’t remember giving you a key?”   
“You don’t remember a lot of things Neil. You were hit by a car. It’s the amnesia hunny.”  
Neil shrugged and sat down beside her. She was watching some awfully scripted reality tv show. Neil waltzed into the kitchen to feed himself and the cat which was meowing and walking in front of Neils legs. Once Neil had his bowl of cereal he returned back to Allison’s side. “So what brings you here?”   
“We are going out tonight”  
“Out where?”  
“Clubbing.”  
“Gross no. I’d rather watch your shitty tv programmes.”  
Allison got up and threw clothes at Neil. “Too bad you have no choice. Change into them. I need to get ready so I’ll be back in two hours”  
Neil just grunted as he walked Allison to the door.  
“You better be ready Neil”. Allison warned before kissing him on the cheek and leaving. Neil stayed in the same spot for a moment before going into the bathroom to shower. Neil let the water splash on him and just stood still enjoying the warmth. He didn’t want to go clubbing. He didn’t like drinking and the loud music irritated him but he knew going to the club was the best option because not letting Allison get her way was a far worse and dangerous option. 

Neil looked at himself in the mirror, He gazed at his black chiffon shirt that he loosely tucked into his pants. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt so that they were just above his elbows. Allison didn’t bother knocking and just walked in with a bottle of white wine in each hand. Allison was a beauty but when she dressed up she looked like a model. Tonight she was wearing a low v neck, bodycon red dress. It hugged her curves and her long blonde curls tied the outfit together. “Neil baby! You look stunning”.   
“I feel like an idiot”  
“You look hot! All the boys will be after you tonight”  
“I don’t want people to be after me”  
Allison just shrugged and poured herself a glass of wine. “Want some?” She asked tilting the bottle toward Neil. He usually never drank but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get through the night sober. 

After having a bottle of wine each, they heading to the club. Eden was the biggest club in the city and everyone went there. The security was strict and the club was immaculate. It was a top tier club and you had to book in advance if you wanted to make sure that you would definitely be allowed in. Allison showed the bodyguard a yellow card and they were escorted in through the back door. They were one of the first few people in. Neil looked around to see if he could find a nice secluded area to hide for the night. He spotted a corner next to the bar and decided to steal it before anyone else could. Allison was already out on the dance floor, dancing with a group of people Neil didn’t know. Once he reached his seat, the bartender asked if he wanted anything to drink. “Can I have a shot”  
“Of”  
“Surprise me”  
The bartender gave a glance to Neil but said nothing and came back a moment later with a shot glass   
“It’s a fireball shot, enjoy” shouted the bartender. The music was getting louder and louder and it was hard to hear. Neil downed his shot and slid the glass back to the bartender. “I didn’t know you drank” whispered a voice right into Neils ear.  
“Jesus Andrew gave me a heart attack”  
Andrew sat next to Neil, “the usual please”. The bartender gave a quick nod and turned around to get the drink. Andrew was wearing all black like usual but he work nice black jeans with a tight button up shirt. “You never answered my question Neil” Andrew said pointing at the empty shot. “It’s just one of those nights” Neil shrugged. Andrew didn’t say anything else and Neil was feeling very talkative due to the alcohol.   
“Where’s your brother”  
“Home”  
“When I saw him today holding hands with the girl I was shocked. You know, cause I thought it was you”  
“Mhmm”  
I don’t know why but I didn’t like it” Neil admitted.  
“Really” Andrew seemed bored of the conversation already which pained Neil  
“Are you angry with me?”   
“No.” Replied Andrew   
Andrew had his drink in his hand and was swirling in and Neil downed his second shot  
“Then talk to me.” Neil was beginning to slur his words, he really regretted chugging the wine just before he left.  
“I am Neil”  
“No you are giving me one word replies. I feel like you hate me”  
“I do”  
Andrews response sobered Neil up. Anger started erupted inside of Neil. He got up from his chair, a little too quickly but managed to stable himself before turning to Andrew and yelling. “If you hate me don’t do stuff to make me misunderstand!”. Neil stumbles towards the dance floor to find Allison but instead was met with a tall man that couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He grabbed Neils waist and started swaying him side to side. “So baby, you finally available to keep me company for the night”. Neil tried to break free but the strength in his arms was gone. A hand yanked him free from the mans grip, Neil looked to see Allison holding his hand. His heart sank because he secretly hoped it was Andrew. “Neil, be careful, I told you everyone is going to be after you tonight”. “Not everyone” Neil mumbled in reply. Neil dances with Allison for awhile but when her and a random guy started grinding on one another, he decided it was time to leave. He slipped into the back and went outside for some fresh air. Neil felt like the most unlucky person in the world because sitting on a crate was Andrew smoking. “Didn’t think you’d be back to me so soon after your little outburst” hummed Andrew.  
“Fuck off”  
Andrew let another cigarette and past it to Neil who took it without saying thanks  
“Dickhead” whispered Neil  
“If I was a dickhead I wouldn’t give you a cigarette”   
“See it’s this shit that makes people misunderstand”  
“If you take me giving you a cigarette to heart that’s on you”   
Neil glared at Andrew, the alcohol was not helping with Neils temper. “It’s not just that you asshole. It’s everything you do.”  
Andrew raised an eyebrow trying to feign innocence. “Maybe I took everything a little too personally but I thought... I don’t know, I thought you might have been interested in me in the same way that I’m interested in you” Neil was too embarrassed to even look Andrew in the eyes. Andrew got up from where he was sitting, crushed his cigarette and walked over to Neil. He grabbed a handful of Neils hair in his fist making Neils head tilt back. Neil finally looked andrew in eyes and was surprised to see the sadness in Andrews eyes.  
“Listen Neil. I’m not the right choice for you. Give up”. Andrew said nothing more and walked away. “How do you know what’s the right choice for me” Neil screamed back but was ignored.

Neil left the club alone. Allison texted him telling him not to wait for her so he just took a cab home. He was nearly sober by the time he reached the front door and was replying the moment of him confessing to Andrew over and over again. ‘You’re such an idiot Neil’ was what the voice in his head kept telling him over and over again. Neil couldn’t sleep that night, he was too busy trying to come up with an excuse for Andrew to try and salvage their friendship.


End file.
